Christmas from Kandahar

The dropping needles are far more noticable when there are no packages under the tree.  The scene can only mean one thing – Christmas has come and gone.  In one sense, it was my best Christmas ever as there were a couple of moments back in April when I wondered whether I would live to see it (totally irrational, I now realize).  In another sense, it was an odd Christmas, since my eldest son was a part of the celebration in voice only via the computer.

Serving a 6 month deployment in Afghanistan, this son, husband and daddy sent wonderful handcrafted gifts.  We would have exchanged them, and all the others we received, to have him home.  But we are so proud of the courageous sacrifice he, and his family, are making.

Among the gifts were scarves my son purchased from a very special shop called Kandahar Treasure.  Launched by Ragina Hamidi in 2003, the business employs women artisans from the Kandahar area who make home decor items, clothing, accessories and more.  The scarves we received are embroidered with the unique stitchery of this region.

Even more importantly, purchases from Kandahar Treasure supports an organization whose purpose is to develop an economic base for the province and support the advancement of women throughout Afghanistan.  Afghanis say, “A woman is the light of the family.”  But they are also the light of their society, and Ragina Hamidi’s vision has supported this thought.  This, despite the fact that she’s lived through decades of war and internal strife, and saw her father, Kandahar’s mayor, assassinated in July.  Read more about this woman of courage.